STRINGING 'EM ALONG: Annual bluegrass festival draws eclectic crowd of musicians, listeners

Sara Serrano, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·2 min read

Jan. 20—HULBERT — Amid sawing bows and plucking fingers, the 43rd annual Western Hills Bluegrass Festival struck up tuneful chords Jan. 19-21 at the very tip of Sequoyah State Park inside the Sequoyah Lodge.

Upon entering the building, guests were greeted with the sounds of bluegrass music. In corners and hallways of the lodge's first floor, attendees formed impromptu jam sessions with their friends, and in some cases, strangers.

"We don't know each other," said Velinda Roberts, after strumming along on guitar to "When a Man Can't a Woman Off His Mind" with a group of fellow "bluegrassers."

In another part of the lodge, a large group of musicians picked, strummed, and bowed their way through "Amazing Grace" together, their soulful singing ringing through the rest of the lobby.

The festival also features concerts from Heartland Xpress of Sand Springs, Rick Faris and The Faris Brothers of Topeka, Kansas, Blue Tradition of Seminole, SpringStreet of Muskogee, The Roving Gamblers of Winslow, Arkansas, and The Bluegrass Travelers of Muskogee.

Several bluegrass workshops were held Friday, Jan. 20, including ones focusing on vocals, banjo, dobro, mandolin, bass, flattop guitar, bass, fiddle, and youth players.

Eddie Faris and Jon Harden taught a fiddle workshop that afternoon and answered questions about different techniques, improvisation, and more

One attendee asked for advice on playing double stops — when a fiddler plays two notes on a string instrument at the same time — in tune.

Faris said his father, Bob Faris, helped him learn the technique.

"I learned from him what the notes were, and over time, it started to get better," said Faris.

Repetition, "muscle memory," and accompaniment help in perfecting double stops.

"It was always easier to play on pitch when I played with someone," said Faris.

A well-composed fiddle can also help. Before purchasing an instrument, Harden suggested new fiddlers find someone who really knows how to set up its strings and bridge.

"A proper instrument setup can make a difference with your intonation across the board," said Harden.

Unfortunately, as Faris said, these kinds of people "don't grow on trees."

Faris encouraged the audience of youngster and older folks to keep practicing and remain persistent with fiddling.

"This isn't something that happens every day," he said. "I've been playing since I was six years old and it's still a struggle. I don't fall out of bed playing the fiddle."

You're invited

Saturday, Jan. 21 is the final day for the festival. The public is invited.